Secrets
by ReaderReecey
Summary: HP/SS Harry's life had never been easy & it's about to get even more complicated when he survives another attempt on his life, and his secrets are revealed to the last person he ever wanted to know. With the support of his new friend, he finds the family he always wanted. But will he survive the final showdown? Rated for some violence,abuse,and suggestive content.SemiGraphic rape
1. Chapter 1

**Secrets**

**It was a normal summer night. The clear sky was littered with bright, glittering stars, the full moon casting a pale glow over the empty streets of Privet Drive. The painfully normal street consisted of identical two story homes in a uniform row, interspaced with garages which housed the owners perfectly clean cars, with each home set back from the road, separated by manicured lawns and paved driveways. Everything so perfectly normal, or so it appeared on the outside.**

**The inhabitants of 4 Privet Drive were hiding many secrets, among them the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's nephew not only lived with them, but that he was a freak of the worst kind, the kind that waved about sticks of wood and hollered mumble-jumbo and killed each other off like maniacs. Among their secrets was also that fact that Vernon Dursley was a drunk, and a mean one to boot, who encouraged his only son to partake of the bottle and aid him in his treatment of their unwelcome housemate.**

**In the years since their nephew, Harry Potter, had started attending that blasted school for freaks, Vernon had grown more and more resentful of his wife, insisting it was her fault his life was ruined. If she hadn't been related to those freaks in the first place, he would be having to up with one living under his roof. As it was, he had no choice but to keep the little bugger there, for he refused to divorce his wife, fearing the scandal would ruin his perfectly formed and maintained appearance of normalcy. However, just because he was stuck with the freak and his wife, didn't mean he couldn't still try and attain normalcy. After all, how would they ever be cured if he didn't do everything in his power to fix what was wrong with them?**

**Harry had always been abused by his aunt and uncle, but before he turned eleven, it was limited to the slaps and hair pulling, with an occasional whack with a frying pan or kick to the rear as he fled a room. Once he had returned from Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time though, it had stopped completely, for the Dursley's feared him using his wand on them. That ended though the moment that notice came from the Ministry in the summer before his second year. Once Vernon realized that the boy couldn't fight back, he took out his anger freely and often, even going after his wife a few times, accusing her of having a soft spot for the boy. She grew up with that freak sister of hers, she should have known and told him that underage wizards were forbidden to use magic outside of the school. The fact that she had said nothing proved she was a freak too, as far as he was concerned.**

**The abuse had gotten progressively worse as the years went on. When Harry was away, Petunia received the brunt of her husbands ire, but it was never so bad as it was with the boy. Vernon was careful not to leave marks anywhere on her person that the neighbors might see, as that would be counterproductive to his attempts at appearing like the normal, happy family man. But when Harry was home, the monster within Vernon was released, and pain and suffering were a constant. **

**The rape began at the end of Harry's fourth year. Still reeling from the events of the Tri-wizard tournament and Cedric Diggory's death, Harry was a mess, and at night, relieved every horrifying second of that night. His screams of Cedric's name brought his uncle flying into the room, his round face purple with rage. Accusing his nephew of being a flaming queer on top of a freak, he decided to teach the boy a lesson and began raping him regularly. Petunia heard his scream the first time Vernon had raped her nephew. This scream was so different from the rest, she knew instinctively what was happening. Her nephew rarely cried out during the abuse, having learned that it only prolonged it. But this scream was the sound of Harry's soul breaking, and she flew up the stairs. This was too much. She ran up the stairs and into the room, yelling at him to stop as she threw herself at her husband. But she had been unable to stop him. That night was the first time Vernon had struck her face, the force of his fist throwing her into the wall, knocking her unconscious. **

**After that night, it was her and Harry against Vernon and Dudley, who was swiftly turning into his father, despite Petunia's best efforts. This way of life continued for the next few years, until this night. It was only the first week of the summer holidays before Harry's seventh and final year at the renowned school of magic, and already Petunia was in fear for Harry's life. She had been the one to pick Harry up from the train station at the beginning of the week. Vernon had had to work, and so they had a few hours of peace to fill each other in on their lives before the man was to return home.**

**Harry smiled at his aunt and reach out, enfolding her in his arms in a gentle hug. He immediately released her though, when he heard her soft gasp. Frowning he looked down at her, for he had finally had a growth spurt and now stood taller than her. His eyes filled with sorrow, then anger. "He's been hurting you again, hasn't he?"**

**Petunia ducked her head and avoided his gaze. There was no point denying it. They both knew how Vernon was without Harry around to beat on. With a sigh, Harry carefully pulled her close again, being sure not to hurt her.**

"**Aunty… I'll be officially a grown wizard on my birthday. The blood wards will be negated, and I can use magic and go wherever I want. I want you to leave with me. I can get you a house in Hogsmeade, help you get settled into a new life. Please. Neither of us have to stay here for much longer." He looked imploringly into her eyes and she gave a soft gasp, seeing her sister looking out at her from her nephews face.**

**Tears filled her eyes as the familiar feeling of guilt crept into her stomach. After all she had done to him in the past, he had forgiven her completely, and was even willing to take care of her, to save her from the mess her life had become. He was so much like Lily. Always forgiving, and willing to give people second chances. She knew she didn't deserve his forgiveness or the chance he was offering her, but she promised herself, as she had many times over the last few years, that she would make up for her sins against him somehow. She nodded. "Alright, Harry. We'll leave on your birthday."**

**That night, Vernon returned home from work completely pissed. He could barely stand without swaying, and they knew it was going to be a bad night. Harry refused to cry out that night, and all the nights after, as his uncle resumed his favorite activities of raping and torturing him. Vernon would come home from work drunk, grab Harry by his hair, and drag him up the stairs to his room while mumbling threats and insults at the young man. Harry's eyes burned with unshed tears, but glowed with the promise that soon, soon it would be over, and Vernon would regret the day he ever laid a finger on either of them. **

**Neither Harry or Petunia knew though, that Vernon was planning to get rid of Harry once and for all. Vernon may be a brute, but he wasn't completely stupid. He knew the boy would be coming of age soon. He knew once that happened, there would be nothing stopping the freak from seeking revenge against him, and he had no intention of letting the little whore live that long. He would not let him ruin his life any more. **

**He would have to get rid of Petunia as well, the little traitorous bitch. After all he'd done for her, she had turned her back on him and took up with her freak nephew. He knew that she wouldn't keep quiet if he killed the boy, so he would kill her too. He's make it look like an automobile accident, so as to not arouse the suspicion of the neighbors or law enforcement. **

**Harry's silence ended on the his seventh day back. After slaving over the impossible amount of chores he'd been assigned, which even with his aunts help he'd been unable to complete, his uncle had returned home from work drunk as usual. He slammed his fist into the side of Harry's head , causing his vision to swim as he fell to his knees. Vernon roughly grabbed him by the back of his shirt and started for the stairs, dragging him up to his room. Petunia watched, her eyes filled with tears. She didn't try to stop him. It would only be worse on them both is she did. Instead, she went for her first aid kit, knowing she would need it. She put some water on to warm and waited at the table, her head buried in her arms.**

**Harry had remained silent during the beating his uncle had given before he threw him on the bed and tore his clothes off. Harry squeezed his eyes closed and couldn't help the grunt of pain as his uncle began to violate him. It went on for what seemed like forever before Vernon stilled and whispered into Harry's ear, his breath hot and humid against Harry's skin. **

"**You're dead, you worthless whore."**

**Harry frowned in confusion as his uncle started thrusting again, and then, a sudden sharp pain in his back. Harry couldn't help the scream that tore from his throat as pain exploded throughout his body, a knife buried in his back by his uncle. He flailed, trying to move away as but was unable, pinned down by Vernon, who raised the blade over his head to stab him again. His vision swam as he grew dizzy, his uncle stabbing him again and again**

**He never noticed the door slam open, but he heard his aunts strangled cry of fear and shock, heard the loud thunk as something heavy and metal connected with something solid, and felt his uncles weight disappear. The last thing he remembered before passing out was his aunts tear streaked face swim into view, a bloody skillet clanging to the ground as she dropped to her knees next to him.**

**Petunia lifted her head at the sound of Harry's muffled scream, and her eyes landed on the counter, where her kitchen knifes usually sat. Jumping to her feet, she realized in horror that her butchers knife was missing. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach like a 100 pound weight. Without thinking, she grabbed her heavy cast iron skillet off the counter and ran up the stairs, Harry's screams growing louder as she approached the door.**

**Throwing it open, she gave a strangled cry as she saw Vernon plunge the knife into her bleeding nephew. Vernon glanced towards her and smiled smugly as he raised the blade again. Knowing she had to stop him, she leapt forward and brought the skillet up and swung it into the side of her husbands head with all her might, a sickening crunch filling the air as his skull cracked under the force of the blow, his face showing his surprise. Falling unconscious, Vernon fell forward onto his nephew, his weight trapping the young wizard. **

**Rushing forward, she pushed her husband with all her might, rolling him off of her sisters son. She fell to her knees beside Harry, stroking his face and begging him to stay awake. He was losing so much blood, and she had no idea how to help him. "Harry, please, stay awake you dear boy. This is not how you're meant to go out, do you hear..." he voice drowned out by the sound of two loud cracks filling the air. Spinning around, she gasped in shock. Standing there , wands drawn, were two wizards, one she recognized as being the Headmaster of Harry's school. The other man, looking much like an overgrown bat, was unfamiliar to her, but she had a feeling this was the man Harry had described as his potions professor.**

**"Please! You have to help him! He's dying.." She broke into sobs, falling to the side as both men rushed forward, knocking her out of the way as they moved to help Harry. She moved to a side where she would not be in the way, but could still watch as they tended to him, waving their wand this way and that, murmuring words under their breath. She watched as the bleeding stopped, and the knife was removed. The man in black began pulling small vials from his robes and pouring them into Harry's mouth, rubbing his throat to make him swallow. Neither man said anything to her for several long moments, but soon Dumbledore turned to her, his eyes hard.**

**"What has happened here tonight, Mrs. Dursley?"**

**"V-Vernon was raping him again, and he...he tried to kill him. I hear-heard Harry scream. I think...I think I killed my husband." She whispered, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks as the stress of the night, of the last several years finally caught up to her. Glancing down at her husband, she saw that blood had pooled around his head in an area too large to suggest that he lived. With a gasped, pained sob, she fainted. **

* * *

**Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat behind the desk of his circular office, drumming his fingertips on the edge of said desk. The walls were lined with the portraits of all the Headmasters before him, most of them dozing in their gold frames , with a few visiting other portraits in the castle. Odd knick-knacks and magical objects sat here and there, some glowing occasionally or shooting off sparks of color. Just to the side of his desk was a perch, upon which dozed a beautiful crimson and gold phoenix. Dumbledores lips were drawn down in a frown as he contemplated what to do about two of his students. **

**Harry Potter would of course, have to be moved to the school upon his seventeenth birthday, but that was still more than six weeks away. It was common knowledge that after his coming of age, the blood wards would no longer protect him from Voldemort and his forces of dark wizards. It would be the end of the war if they left him there, for surely Voldemort would attack as quickly as possible. When the time came, Albus would set Harry up in a private dorm for the remainder of the summer.**

**His thoughts turned to Pansy Parkinson. He had agreed to let her stay at Hogwarts after the girl had come to him after the winter holiday last year, telling him of her fathers plans to make her take the mark this summer. She had begged him not to make her go back, and he had agreed. He couldn't send her home with a clear conscious, knowing what would happen to her if he did, and she provided enough information to be helpful.**

**However, it was only a matter of time before her father came for her. Albus had no legal standing to keep the girl from her family, and unless she agreed to go to the courts, they would order her to return home. She knew half the Ministry was in Voldemorts pocket, and she wasn't convinced that a trial would end in her favor. Albus was determined to make her see reason. He knew she would be marked if she was forced to return, or worse, even possibly killed for her betrayal. Not to mention that the children of the death eaters attending Hogwarts would be sent after her once school started back up. He would have to remove her from the Slytherin dorms.**

**He was torn from his musings as an alarm sounded through out the room, startling Fawkes awake and Albus out of his chair. Immediately he strode to the fireplace, throwing in some powder and thrusting his face into the flames.**

* * *

"**Severus! The alarms at Harry's house have sounded!"**

**Severus Snape dropped his vial of mandrake essence and cursed, spinning around, away from his cauldron to face the fireplace behind him. He barely caught sight of the Headmasters head disappearing from the flames. Muttering, he stepped through the fire and into Albus' office.**

"**The Dark Lord isn't planning anything tonight for Potter, Albus. He's in Transylvania trying to recruit vampires. I'm sure the brat just tripped down the stairs or something." He said, irritated at having his night interrupted by the spoiled brat of his old school enemy. Even when the brats not in school, he was still finding ways to disrupt his life.**

**Albus looked at him sharply as he grabbed the Potion Maters arm. "The alarms sound when he is in grave danger. It doesn't have to mean that Tom is attacking." Albus grabbed a hold of Fawkes feathers, and with an explosion of flames, the three of them disappeared, appearing in the upstairs hall of 4 Privet Drive. With a wave of his wand, Albus threw open the door before them and they both rushed in, wands drawn. They were both stunned into temporary stillness though, at the sight before them.**

**A hysterical woman, presumably Potter's aunt, was bent over what looked like a pile of bloody sheets on a rickety old cot, while a outrageously large man lay naked on the ground, crumpled up in a pool of blood, a large kitchen knife lying a few inches from his hand.**

**The woman looked up in surprise upon hearing them enter and almost immediately began begging them to help.**

"**Please! You have to help him! He's dying…" She cried, her green eyes red ****and wet from her tears. Suddenly moving into action, both wizards rushed forward, pushing her out of the way. What had at first seemed just a pile of bloody sheets, was actually the beaten and bloody unconscious form of Harry Potter.**

**Severus immediately began pulling vials from his robes as Dumbledore cast several diagnostic spells and spells to clot his bleeding. Both men were in complete and utter shock, but forced themselves to set it aside in order to help the young man lying before them. Ignoring the woman's soft sobbing from behind them, Severus began administering the potions, a few blood restoratives, something to stop internal bleeding, and another to keep him from slipping into a coma.**

**While Severus was busy, Albus stood and turned to Mrs. Dursley, his eyes cold and hard like ice in his anger. There was not a trace of his trademark twinkle, and his expression instilled fear in the woman,**

"**What has happened here, Mrs. Dursley?" he asked, his voice as hard as his eyes.**

"**V-Vernon was raping him again, and he...he tried to kill him. I hear-heard Harry scream. I think...I think I killed my husband." She whispered, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. Dumbledore's face paled, and he heard Severus sharp intake of breath. His gaze followed the woman's gaze to the man on the ground, and he had to agree with her. There was simply too much blood for him to have survived. In the next moment, the woman fainted and Dumbledore sighed. Just to be sure, he checked the mans vitals, finding that he was, indeed, dead.**

**With a nod from Severus indicating that Harry was stable, at least for the moment, Dumbledore lifted the woman into his arms with an ease that belied his frail age and countenance, while Severus did the same to Harry. Fawkes flew over and grabbed each of their shoulders with a talon before transporting them in a flurry of heat-less flames to the Hogwarts infirmary.**

* * *

**Several hours later, Severus Snape returned to his rooms, exhausted. If possible, he looked even more pale and furious than usual. Had there been any students in the school, they would have fallen over themselves in fear to stay out of his way. He threw his outer-robe over the back of his couch as he passed it on the way to his kitchen. He pulled a bottle of fire whiskey from a cupboard and pulled the lid off, not bothering with a shot glass as he drank straight from the bottle.**

**He fell into his chair before the fire, just staring into the flames and going over the nights events. When they'd arrived in the infirmary, Poppy had been ready for them, as if she had known they would be coming. She had immediately set to work healing the injured boy, while the wizards revived Petunia and brought her to the Headmasters office for questioning.**

**They had questioned her under veritaserum and learned about everything that had happened the last several years. Severus had been furious. He had wanted to throttle the woman for having done nothing all these years to stop her husband. He felt no sympathy for her at all, though a small voice whispered to him that she was a victim too. He quickly squashed it back. **

**His frown deepened as he faced the flames dance in the hearth. H knew she was a victim, but he needed someone to blame. His long held illusions of the Boy-Who-Lived's life had been shattered that night. He had always assumed that the boys fame extended into his home life, that his family loved and pampered him. The signs to the contrary had been there all along though, he'd just refused to see them. The clothes that never fit right, the thinness of his body at the beginning of every year, the fact that he never went home for the holidays, the fact that he resembled more a fifth year in stature than the seventh year he was about to be. All the signs that pointed towards abuse, and he had ignored them.**

**It's his job as a professor in this school to look out for the wellbeing of his students, no matter who they are, and he'd failed. If there was one thing Severus hated, it was failing. He'd always prided himself on being able to separate his personal and professional lives, but in this instance, he had failed completely. He allowed his bitterness about his school days and hatred of James Potter to cloud his judgment, and a student had suffered for it.**

**He drank more from his bottle, taking comfort in the pleasant burn that trailed down his throat as he brooded. After interrogating Mrs. Dursley, they had all returned to the infirmary to check on Harry. Poppy had not contacted them, so they knew he had to at least be in stable condition. An exhausted Poppy had met them at the boys bedside, her face pale and drawn. The extent of the damage had been horrible, and she wasn't sure how he had managed to survive long enough to make it to the school. He was in a healing coma at the moment, but would likely wake in a day or two, though Poppy would not allow him to leave the wing for a week at least.**

**After they gave Petunia a sleeping draught and set her up in a hospital bed, Poppy had led them to her office. Her eyes had flashed with fire when she turned to them. "That poor boy has been suffering for years! That…That **_**thing**_** almost killed him! What's going to be done about it?" She demanded. Severus had sneered, "Unfortunately, Mrs. Dursley already took care of him for us. Shame, really. I know all of us would have liked a go at him." Poppy's eyes widened in surprise at his inclusion of himself as one who would have liked revenge against the man. It was no secret that the Potions Master detested Harry.**

**Albus and Severus had returned to the Dursley's home to take care of Vernon's body. Since Dudley had been away with friends for vacation, they decided the best course of action was to set the house on fire. Clearly Harry and Petunia were never returning to this house, and they did not want to raise the questions that Vernon's death would raise. They had gathered Harry's things and collected anything of importance from the rest of the house before causing the stove to leak gas. With a flick of their wands, the house exploded and they apparated away.**

**Severus sighed a stood up. The bottle was half empty now and he was tired. He made his way to his bed chamber and fell into bed. It took only moments for the spy to fall asleep. It was going to be a long week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Harry woke up the next morning, sooner than anyone thought he would. At first he was disoriented, his eyelids heavy. Even behind his closed eyes, everything seemed abnormally bright, and he couldn't open his eyes for several minutes. Struggling towards full consciousness, he tried to figure out where he was. Bright lights, that sterile scent of medicine and disinfectant ….. '_Oh. Infirmary..'_ he realized. '_Why am I here?'_ He wondered, his eyes finally fluttering open. He squinted, the bright lights harsh and painful. He blinked rapidly a few times, letting his eyes adjust. He reached out beside him, searching for his glasses and found them, situating them on his face with a wince. _'Why does everything hurt?'_

Finally able to see clearly, he looked around him and spotted someone slumped over in the chair beside him. With a start he realized it was his aunt. Frowning, he tried to reach for her, but only succeeded in knocking over the glass of water on the bedside table which happened to startle her awake. Flying forward, her bloodshot eyes were wide and wild, darting around the room before they settled on Harry. She stared at him a moment, before recognition dawned and she reached for him.

"Harry! How are you feeling?" she asked as she helped him sit up, then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He returned the hug weakly , his head swimming. His memory of that night was returning in flashes, one after the other, faster and faster. _Being dragged up the stairs. Ribs breaking. The sound of a zipper. A whisper . White hot pain. A scream. Darkness. _He remembered now. Tears of shame and embarrassment filled his eyes, making the emerald orbs shimmer. His uncle had tried to kill him, and Harry wasn't sure how he'd survived. He remembered nothing after hearing his aunt enter the room.

"I'm alright, aunty. Are you ok? Did he hurt you? Where is he? What happened? How did we end up at Hogwarts?" His questions came in a rush, his voice raspy. He pulled back a bit to inspect her, looking her over for injuries. She was extremely pale, with purple shadows under her bloodshot eyes, but otherwise seemed unharmed. Her smile was watery, but genuine, as she began answering his questions.

"I'm ok. No, he didn't have a chance to hurt me… I hit him with my iron skillet. I killed him, Harry. I killed me husband." she whispered, a few tears escaping in spite of herself. Harry tried to hide his surprise, and quickly pulled her into another hug, comforting her. He knew that no matter what their relationship had been in recent years, he had been her husband. Once upon a time she had loved him, and maybe he had even loved her, in his own way. And to have taken a life, no matter whose it was, couldn't have been easy. He let her cry on his shoulder as she mourned. Mourned for what had been, for what should have been, and for herself. For the girl she used to be, for the woman she was, and the woman she would be from then on.

They sat like that for a few minutes before they were interrupted.

"Ah, Harry! Glad to see you awake. And you, Mrs. Dursley. How are you both?" Albus Dumbledore entered the room, followed by a solemn Poppy Pomfrey. Immediately she started running diagnostic tests on Harry, her eyes sad, though she tried to hide it by keeping her gaze averted. Harry just nodded slightly in acknowledgement while his aunt dried her eyes and smiled at the Headmaster.

"I'm better now, Mr. Dumbledore. Please, call me Petunia. I plan to change my name back to Evans as soon as possible." she responded softly. "Have you heard anything about my son? He was supposed to return home tonight…" Though Dudley had began to act more and more like his father, and hadn't looked on her with love in a very long time, she still cared about her little boy. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, what had happened would make him see the err of his ways, and encourage him to forge his own footsteps in life, rather than follow in his fathers.

"Of course, Petunia. As for young Dudley, we have a few Order members looking for him. According to Mr. and Mrs. Polkis the lads have set off on some sort of road trip. As soon as we locate him, I will let you know. Now, there are some things we need to discuss. Obviously, with Mr. Dursley's death, there won't be a trial against him. Nor for you, Petunia. We've made sure the muggle authorities believe it was nothing more than a house fire. We brought back everything of importance we could find, but I'm afraid most of your belongings are lost, and the house completely destroyed. We'll need to make living arrangements for you before the beginning of term, until then, you are of course welcome to stay at the school."

"I'll take her house hunting as soon as Madame Pomfrey lets me out of here, Headmaster. It's my fault she hasn't a home anymore, it's the least I can do." Harry spoke up, struggling to pull himself into a sitting position and ignoring the pain that shot through him. It seemed his arm was still healing from a break he hadn't realized he'd sustained. Poppy tsk'd at him while she helped him adjust to a comfortable position.

"You've been in here so often Harry, and you won't be leaving anytime soon so you may as well call me Poppy, dear." she said as she bustled around him, earning a smile and an eye roll from the bedridden young man.

"Harry, I'm afraid that, while your intentions are admirable, it's entirely unsafe for you to be out and about shopping for homes while Tom is at large. There's no telling what could happen, and your safety is top priority." Dumbledore said in a tone of regret. Harry's eyes narrowed. "With all due respect sir, I realize the importance of my role in the war, but I refuse to stop living. If I do, he's already won. You always insist that I trust you blindly, with no reasons to the why of the things you ask me to do or ignore. And if my safety really were so important, forgive me sir, but then I would never have been placed in the care of my uncle. I won't do anything to jeopardize our chances of winning, but neither will I sit back and twiddle my thumbs and waste away waiting." Harry felt guilty about the sadness that crept into the professors eyes at his comment about his uncle, but it was true. He would be a legal adult in only a few weeks time, and he'd be damned if he continued living his life this way. He was finally in a position to take control, and he would not give that up.

Dumbledore seemed to recognize the seriousness and adamancy in Harry's eyes, for his shoulders seemed to slump just a fraction, and he nodded his solemnly. "You are of course, correct. I should have done more to protect you, and now it is time for me to realize you are no longer child. I must insist you at the very least keep me aware of your plans, but I will refrain from trying to control your life. Too long have I treated you as a fragile child. You must forgive me. I've only ever wanted the best for you."

"Thank you, Headmaster. And please, don't misunderstand me. I don't hold you responsible. I know, you would not have allowed it to go on, had you known.. But it happened, and I grew up long ago. Granted, I still have much to learn and a long ways to go, but I am far more capable than anyone gives me credit for." Harry said softly, trying to assure the older man than he did not blame him. Dumbledore smiled softly, understanding the message. His eyes began to twinkle after a few moments of silence.

"In the interests of your safety while you finish your last year here, I have made other living arrangements for you. I know you would prefer to stay in Gryffindor tower with your friends, but I have decided to set you up your own set of rooms for the year. I'm sure you know, the enemy has many friendly faces, and as much I hate to think anyone in your house would betray you, it is something we must try to protect against. " His eyes were twinkling madly now, and Harry knew there was something the man was not sharing. He wasn't too concerned about it though, knowing it couldn't really be anything too horrible if the man was this happy about whatever it was. He had a valid point, too. You never knew where your enemies were hiding.

It was the middle of the night, the clock having just chimed three times, and Pansy could not sleep. She lay staring up at the deep green canopy of her bed, watching the almost indiscernible slivery threads writhe about like snakes in the green material. She had been moved to a private room in the Slytherin dorms at the end of term. She knew it was only temporary, but she was glad for the chance to be alone there for awhile. She knew she would never be able to return once the students returned for the next year. Once they knew what she had done, she would be labeled a traitor, and a target painted on her. If she didn't crawl back by the end of summer, her father, and the Dark Lord, would insist upon her death.

Going to the Headmaster had been one of the hardest things she had ever done, but the events of last Christmas had been the final straw. Even if she did die for her betrayal, it would be worth it to be her own person. Her father had picked her up from Kings Cross, and to celebrate her return, he had sent her to _that_ room, where several of his _friends_ had been waiting. They'd all taken their turns with her, including her father, and she felt herself dying inside. It had continued on like this for the first few days of the holiday, and then stopped. She'd been healed, dressed up, and expected to take part in the Parkinson Holiday parties. She had played the perfect daughter, shaking hands and dancing, and making polite conversation.

Her mother, Amaryllis Parkinson, had watched her with cold eyes full of hate the whole night, the first time she'd seen her the entire she'd been home. It had hurt. How her mother could think she _wanted_ the things her father did to her, she couldn't understand. Her mother had always blamed her from the beginning. The first time her father had raped her, she'd been 12 years old. She'd fought the entire time, much to his pleasure. She'd run to her mother as soon as she could, thinking she would save her, get them away from him. Instead, her mother had grown furious and slapped her across the face, the force of it knocking her to the ground.

"You horrible little slut! You seduce my husband, then have the _nerve_ to come to me and rub it in my face? You are the reason he hasn't been to my bed in months!" She had ranted and raved and beat her until she couldn't see straight. She'd dragged herself to her room after Amaryllis had stormed out. Her father had smirked at her from the hall, and she knew she was alone.

After the party was over, her father had taken her to his study, raped her again, and then informed her that the Dark Lord wished her to join them in the death eaters holiday celebration. She had been terrified, but refused to show it. That night, they had all gone to Malfoy Manor where she'd been forced to watch as they tortured a muggle family. The wife was pregnant, and her husband had been struggling against his invisible bonds as they took turns with her. He'd been crying, screaming, but it only encouraged the death eaters. The final straw had been when they ripped the child from her womb, then killed them all.

Her father took her home and informed her that when she came home for the summer, she would be taking the Dark Mark. She didn't say anything, but she vowed to herself that she would never be returning. She would not become like him. Would not join any of them. She'd received the worst beating that night, and was still suffering from the injuries. She refused to go to the infirmary, and the weak potions she had made didn't seem to be helping much.

She'd gone to Dumbledore the day she'd returned to the school and told him about what she had witnessed, about their summer plans for her. She'd begged him for protection, and he'd granted it. She never mentioned the rape and physical abuse, unable to admit the things she had done and allowed to be done to her, but she suspected he knew anyway. His eyes had been so solemn during their meeting, and she'd had trouble maintaining eye contact. Though a part of her knew she what her father did to her wasn't her fault, a larger part felt she was to blame, and hadn't been able to look the wizard in the eye, afraid that he would see what she was.

Severus sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and massaging his temples with his finger tips. He'd been staring at the parchment before him for an hour, and still had no idea what it said. He was supposed to be preparing his syllabus for the coming year, and he could not at all concentrate. He could think of nothing but the night the alarms at sounded at the Dursley residence.

The vision of Harry's bloody body and white face haunted his sleeping and waking moments. He'd never felt such guilt before, and it didn't make sense to him. Sure, he'd been wrong. But it wasn't like he'd been holding the knife, after all. So why was he suffocating? '_Because I should have __**known**_' he answered himself. In all his years of teaching, how many abused children had he come across? How many signs had he learned to spot? And Harry had displayed them all. '_I'm a failure. It's my job to protect him, and instead, I let him almost die. I let him down. I let Lily down.' _He'd been having this same argument with himself since it happened.

He'd been to visit him a few times, but only ever when the boy was asleep, and his aunt out of the room. He'd apologized to the unconscious boy, but couldn't dredge up the guts to do so when he was awake. He was almost sorry Lily's sister had killed the man. He would have loved to so himself. He took great pleasure in imagining the things he would have don't to the man, given the chance, any single action of which would have landed him a life term in Azkaban.

The sound a fire bursting into existence in his fireplace pulled him from his thoughts. He rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. "Yes, Albus?" he asked, knowing without looking who he would see in the flames. Only one person was fool enough to bother him. "Good evening, Severus! I was wondering if I might have a few words with you? Why don't you join me in my office for a snack, since you missed lunch. . ." The headmaster insisted cheerfully before disappearing. He knew the grouchy potions master would follow him, and Severus did, muttering the whole way.

He exited the flames in Dumbledore's office and moved to sit in a chair before the desk. He ignored the platters of sandwiches and raised a brow at the white haired wizard, folding his arms across his chest. "What is it now, Albus? I'm really very busy."

The headmasters eyes twinkled brightly, annoying Severus to no end. "I was hoping you be willing to help with some summer training for young Mr. Potter, to start as soon as he is well enough."

Severus glared at the man. "You can't be serious. The boy hates me, and I hardly see how you think he would listen to me. He's shown again and again that he's incapable of the focus needed to learn anything of use. He fills his head with quidditch stats and. . ." his half-hearted rant was interrupted when the twinkling madman raised his hand.

"Now, now, Severus. You know that isn't the case. Look at all he accomplished in his fifth year with the DA. Not only is he a bright young man and decent student, he's a wonderful tutor. If you gave him a real chance, I'm sure you'd be pleasantly surprised. Surely your opinions of him must have changed with the new information that's come to light in the last week." Albus raised an eyebrow at him and offered the scowling man a lemon drop, which was refused with a growl. "Poppy says he'll be well enough to leave the infirmary in a few more days, though she insists he takes it easy. I was thinking you could begin lessons in another week or so. After all, he deserves a vacation as well. You will do it, won't you?"

Severus snarled at him, scowling. "Of course I'll do it, you insufferable old man. You aren't really giving me a choice." Severus stood then and headed back towards the fire, his robes billowing around his form. "Now that I have MORE lessons to plan, I need to return to my own rooms." He disappeared in a plume of green smoke, leaving a giggling headmaster behind.

Two days later found Harry and Petunia reading over the classifieds of both the Daily Prophet and London Times. They were putting together a list of houses and apartments that might be worth looking at. Petunia felt uncomfortable with it, not liking the idea of taking her nephews money, but he was adamant, and she had no where else to go. At least, once the legalities of her husbands death were taken care of, she could collect the money from their accounts and the insurance and pay him back. He would fight her tooth and nail, but she refused to just let him take care of her. She still felt horribly guilty over everything that had happened.

She wanted to go to school and learn a skill, so that she could support herself. Poppy had been kind enough to gather her some brochures on all the muggle vocational schools and colleges in the Great Britain area, and she had gone through some the night before, while the rest sat on the table beside her bed. Harry was thrilled for her, but she was scared out of her mind. She had never worked in her life, and had no idea what she would end up doing. She was determined though. She'd been given a second chance at life, and she was not going to throw it away.

They were discussing a flat on the outskirts of muggle London when Poppy and the Headmaster come in, carrying trays of food and wearing large smiles. "Good afternoon Harry, Petunia! We've brought lunch and good news." the headmaster said, eyes holding that customary twinkle as he set the trays down. Poppy fluffed Harry's pillows, her lips pursed. Albus smiled widely at the silent med witch. "Don't we, Poppy?" she shot him a glare and muttered something under her breath.

"What was that, Madam Poppy?" he continues to goad her, his eyes twinkling brighter and brighter the more this game went on. She spun around, glaring at him.

"I _said_, I suppose after Harry eats everything on his plate, I will release him from the infirmary. But if it were it up to me, you'd never leave my sight again." she said, turning to look at Harry who had jumped up from the bed and grabbed her up in a hug, shocking her.

"Thank you, Poppy!" He said excitedly, squeezing her gently. Her cheeks turned pink, but she smiled and returned the hug before pushing him away again. "Enough of that, Harry. Get back into that bed and eat, before I change my mind." Her tone was stern, but she was smiling. Harry gave her one of his bright smiles and did as she said, digging into the food with gusto.

"Once you're finished eating, Harry, Petunia, I'd like to show you to your new rooms. We've set up two flats not too far from each other for you on the fourth floor. These rooms will be yours for as long as you should ever want or need them. They're far enough away from the dorms that you shouldn't be bothered much, but relatively close to the classrooms. I think they'll work wonderfully." Dumbledore said, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

Harry and Petunia finished they're meals quickly, and Harry changed out of his hospital robes. When he was properly dressed in a set of transfigured robes, they set off. _'I have no clothes anymore.' _He realized, remembering that everything would have been in the cupboard under the stairs and no one would have known to look there. His thoughts turned melancholy as he followed the Headmaster through the castle. _'My pictures., my cloak, books, everything is gone.'_ he thought sadly. _'I'll have to go to Diagon Alley soon.'_

Before he realized it, they were stopping outside an ornate portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw clad in varying shades of blue and gold. Rowena smiled serenely at them. "Greetings, Headmaster." she said, her voice musical. "Greetings, Lady Rowena. May I introduce Ms. Petunia Evans, and Mr. Harry Potter? Ms. Evans will be taking up residence in this suite. " Albus made introductions, smiling in amusement at Petunia's look of awe as she met her first talking portrait. Lady Rowena smiled more broadly. "Hello, Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter. I welcome you to my rooms. Would you care to set your password now?"

While Harry's jaw dropped in surprise, Petunia looked confused. "How do I that?" she asked. Lady Rowena smiled at her and explained. "In this case, you would place your palm against mine, and tell me what you want the password to be. Only you, the headmaster, and who ever you give the password to will then be granted access to these rooms." Petunia nodded, looking thoughtful as she tried to think up a password. When she decided, she raised her hand and placed it against the painting, over Lady Rowena's. She opened her mouth and said simply, "Loves sacrifice." Her choice was met with smiles and the portrait swung inwards to admit them.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to keep him in place, earning a confused look from the boy wonder. "Ms Evans, why don't you go ahead and explore your new rooms while I show Harry his? There's something I'd like to discuss with him, so it might be awhile before he returns." Petunia hesitated a moment before nodding. She hugged Harry, then disappeared inside the suite.

"Headmaster? Am I to understand that those rooms really belonged to Lady Ravenclaw?" he questioned as he was led further down the corridor. Albus smiled at him. "Indeed they were. I chose them because I knew Rowena would do an exceptional job guarding your aunt. She married a muggle, you know, and she understands the dangers of having one in the school full time."

They finally stopped when they reached a portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin playing chess together, much to Harry's surprise. Albus noted the surprised look and chuckled. "Didn't think they got along very well, did you?" he asked. Harry shook his head. "No sir. I mean, I realized they had to have tolerated each other in order to create this school, but a friendship never entered my mind."

Dumbledore very nearly grinned as he said, " Indeed, they weren't just friends, Harry. Godric and Salazar were married."'

Harry couldn't have been more shocked if Dumbledore announced his intentions to give up magic and become a muggle tap dancer. "_Married_, Sir? How come I've never heard of this?" Dumbledore touched the portrait and it swung open without a password, and beckoned Harry through. "I don't know, Harry. I believe there was something about it mentioned in Hogwarts, A History. You never came across that chapter?" he asked, knowing Harry had never read the book. Harry's face flushed in embarrassment as remembered all the times Hermione had tried to make him read that very book.

His thoughts turned to the room he was standing in as he entered the main common area. It was decorated in deep blues and creams, with thick, shaggy rugs strewn around the floor with a deep, comfy couch and chairs positioned in front of the fireplace. Off to the side was a decent sized kitchen equipped with everything he could need. He was so distracted inspecting the room, he never noticed the headmaster disappear from the room. It was only when he returned, someone standing next to him. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the girl.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet your roommate, Pansy Parkinson."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Harry and Pansy stared at each other in surprise before they both turned to Dumbledore. "What do you mean, roommates, Sir? You never said anything about sharing rooms with anyone. I thought the point in keeping me out of the commons was to keep me from people who might harm me?" Pansy asked, slightly panicked. Sharing rooms with a man, let alone the boy who bloody lived was a surefire way to drive her insane with anxiety, let alone get her killed by her former house mates.

Harry said nothing, just looked at the headmaster, wondering what scheme he was up to. He certainly hoped this wasn't some twisted matchmaking attempt, though rationally, he doubted it. Then again, the aging Headmaster's ideas and behaviors did seem to be growing more and more incongruous.. Who knew what crazy ideas were swimming around in his head? Whatever he was planning, Harry wished he knew because he couldn't think of any benefit to this arrangement.

"I believe you both have more in common than either of you think. I also believe that you have a great deal to offer each other. I know it might be rough at first, but you are both bright, intelligent students. I'm sure you can find a way to work together. Now, I'll leave you two to get settled. We'll schedule a shopping trip for the weekend. I know both of you are in need of new items. We'll discuss it at dinner tonight. Until then.." and Dumbledore bowed out of the room, smiling and twinkling madly ,leaving two baffled and nervous teenagers.

They returned to staring at each other, and for several moments were silent. Harry studied her and thought he actually detected fear in her eyes. _'Why on earth would she be afraid of me? Surely she doesn't think I'm going to hurt her.'_ he thought, confusion making itself known. Something about the set of her chin and the barely discernable fear in her eyes screamed at him, as Dumbledore's words echoed in his ears, _' "I believe you both have more in common than either of you think." '_ What had the man meant?

Harry cleared his throat. "Would you like to pick your room first?"

She looked at him surprised, then frowned. "Don't think I'm going to fall into your bed just because you grace me with a few nice gestures. I'm not one of your fan girls, Potter." she sneered before turning down the hall and entering the first room she saw, slamming the door behind her.

Harry blinked in surprise, staring after her. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and made his way down the hall. He first tried the door directly across from the room Pansy had disappeared inside, expecting to find the second bedroom. Instead he found a pain room painted in white with white carpet and not a piece of furniture in the room. Confused and frowning, he left that room and continued down the hall. He tried the door next to hers, and found a large, modern bathroom with separate tub and shower, two sinks, and a large linen closet. Two doors opposite each other were situated on either side of the long sink counter, and with a sinking feeling he realized that the door to the left would lead into Pansy's room.

'_The other door must lead to my room.'_ he thought with dread. They were expected to share a flat and a bathroom and not kill each other? He could not understand the Headmasters logic in sticking together two teenagers of the opposite sex in the same living space with no supervision. He knew of course, there was no chance in hell of anything happening between them, but Dumbledore didn't know that. Pansy didn't know that. He had told only one person about his true sexual preferences.

He had come to terms with the fact that he preferred men the year before. It had been hard to realize, especially after his uncles treatment of him. He had at first thought he wasn't really interested in men, but was just projecting what his uncle had accused him of again and again as he raped him. His aunt was the one who helped him accept that it really was a part of him, and not the result of his uncles abuse. She had tried to assure him that it was ok and not something to be ashamed of, but that took more time for him to accept, and he still hadn't told his friends. He was terrified they would abandon him over this.

He opened the door and was proven correct. The second bedroom was larger than he had expected, containing a large four poster bed with the drapes pulled back, a large six drawer dresser, a wardrobe, and one wall lined in bookcases with a chair to read in by the only window in the room. To his surprise, the room was done entirely in white, which he found just a bit strange. As he walked further into the room, he noticed that swirls of magic seemed to sweep around him then around the room and suddenly, color started to seep into everything. The room went from stark white, to warm earthy hues in reds, greens, browns, and blues. _'Cool.' _he thought. '_I need to find out what that was and how to duplicate it.'_

He went forward and flopped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as it started to mimic the outside sky, like in the Great Hall. Watching the fluffy clouds float across the clear blue sky, he soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

***Pansy POV***

Pansy frowned as she looked around her new room. She had barely left her room in the Slytherin dorms fifteen minutes ago, and already her trunk and belongings had been unpacked by the house elves. She had been fire called by Dumbledore and brought to this flat without warning. She had been expecting to be moved, but sharing a flat never entered her mind, let alone with a boy, and especially not the Boy-Who-Lived.

She couldn't understand what the old man was thinking. How could he force them to live together? The Gryffindor Golden Boy and Slytherin Ice Queen? She didn't know what the two of them were playing at, and it made her extremely anxious. The rational side of her knew that Potter wouldn't do anything to her, that his eyes screamed his inherent goodness. But a larger part of her was terrified of being near any man, and she hated her father for it. She hated herself. She hated that she was afraid to leave her room and run into Potter. Afraid to turn off the lights, lest someone hide in the shadows of the room. She was growing paranoid and she struggled against it. She did not want to live her life afraid.

She glowered at the painfully white room, and began to stalk around it, urging the magic to change the colors to suit her. She'd heard about rooms like this, but had never been in one. If she was honest with herself, she did find it pretty neat. She'd never been allowed to choose her own decorations or clothes, and it was liberating to have control over something so small as the color of paint on her walls. She felt a small smile creep onto her lips as she surveyed the transformed room, done in shades of purple, blue, and white. She wanted something brighter and cheerier than anything she'd had before.

She was still hiding in her room an hour later when she heard a muffled knock at the portrait entrance. Frowning, and wondering who could possibly be calling, she slowly opened her door and peered into the hall, search for Potter. Noticing he was no where in sight, she sighed and went to answer the call. Godric Gryffindor smiled at her brightly from the reverse side of the portrait.

"Good afternoon, Miss Parkinson! A Miss Petunia Evans is here to call on Mr. Potter. She is his aunt. Shall I allow her in?" he asked, noting her surprised expression. She nodded, and the portrait swung open to reveal a woman about forty years old, her blondish brown hair gathered in a lose roll at the nape of her neck.

Petunia looked surprised at first to see Pansy, but smiled at her.

"Hello! I was looking for Harry Potters room, but I think I must have misunderstood the directions given me…" she said, now looking thoughtful as she peered back out into the corridor. Pansy shook her head.

"Please, Ms Evans, come in. Potter is here somewhere. Unless he took off, but I didn't hear anyone leave." She said, motioning for the woman to come in. _'What on earth is Potters aunt doing here? I thought he lived with muggles? Why would they let a muggle into the school?'_ she wondered to herself. She was about to point the woman down the hall when a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the apartment, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand.

Her eyes widened and Petunias face drained of color. Petunia ran past Pansy and down the hall, throwing open doors and looking for her nephew. Pansy's feet seemed move on their own, taking her down the hall after the older woman, her mind still trying to catch up.

"Harry! Harry wake up!" Petunia said as she leaned over her thrashing nephew. His face was tear streaked and pale, his eyes moving rapidly beneath his closed lids. She smoothed his hair back and murmured calmly, realizing this was one of those visions, and not just a nightmare. Pansy watched in stunned silence as the great Harry Potter screamed and thrashed around.

"Should I send for the Headmaster? Is he alright?" she finally asked, gaining control of her voice. Petunia's head flew up to look at her. She'd forgotten anyone else was there. She smiled softly, though her stress was evident.

"No, dear. There's nothing anyone can do. It'll pass soon, but thank you." Petunia said, still in that soft murmuring tone. Harry was starting to calm down, his thrashing coming to a stop and he breathed in shuddering gasps as he returned from the vision. Petunia smoothed his hair back and waited. A moment later, his eyes fluttered open, the emerald orbs glittering with unshed tears.

"He just killed them. Those children did nothing to des... He killed them, aunty…" Petunia sniffled a bit as a few tears escaped both their eyes. He would never give her details, but she knew he was forced to witness horrible things, and she wanted nothing more than to take that from him. Pansy gasped behind them as she heard what he said, and both of them turned to look at the horrified girl, but she was already running back to her room, her emotions overwhelming her.

She threw herself on her bed and let the tears overcome her as images flooded her mind of the night she watched her father and his death eater buddies murder that young couple. Those memories haunted her dreams every night, but at least they were the same memories. It seemed though, that Harry Potter had to witness similar atrocities regularly, and she didn't know how he kept himself sane.

***REMUS POV***

Remus Lupin stretched out before the fireplace in Sirius' old chair, and tipped the glass of fire whiskey back. He'd been staying at Grimmauld Place for the last six months, since his home had been destroyed in a death eater attack. Thankfully he hadn't been home at the time, but the message was clear; he was moving up on their hit list. Harry had been furious and worried sick when he'd heard, and had offered him the use of Sirius' home indefinitely.

It was strange to be back here full time. Since Sirius' death, he'd avoided this house, only coming near when absolutely necessary, and never further than the kitchen for the Order meetings. Moving in had been a tough decision, but one that he was glad he's made. It was somewhat comforting to be in his best friends house. Of course he was still sad, but there was something therapeutic about living in the home where Sirius began and ended his life.

Despite Sirius' less than pleasant childhood here, they'd had some good times in the old house in more recent years, and it was nice to be reminded of them whenever he entered certain rooms. Of course, on bad nights, the opposite was true. He would walk past the mans bedroom and a sudden, overwhelming sense of grief would bring him to his knees and he'd cry for an hour in the hall outside. He and Sirius had been the last of the Marauders, and now he was the last one. He was alone. He had Harry, he supposed, but the boy was very nearly already grown. He'd entered his life very late, and Harry didn't really need him much anymore. He feared they would never develop a close relationship.

He was startled out of his musings when the crackling fire flared green and Albus Dumbledore's head greeted him from within. Choking on the fire whiskey he had just swallowed, he sat forward, coughing.

"Sorry to startle you, my dear Remus. How are you this evening?" Dumbledore asked, taking in the other mans appearance. He seemed to be filling out more, but was still much too thin. The dark circles under his eyes had lightened a bit, indicating that he was staring to get more sleep at night, but the level of stress he was under was still evident by the extra gray in his hair that developed since they last saw each other.

"I'm fine, Albus. Is everything alright? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but. ." Remus leaned forward, his eyes reflecting his worry. It was unusual for the headmaster to contact him through the floo. Usually he used an owl, or his phoenix, Fawkes.

"Well, yes and no, Remus. There's a few things we need to discuss, and I have a favor to ask of you. Would you mind if I cam through?" the older wizard asked, and received an assenting nod from the now very apprehensive werewolf.

They made their way to the kitchen and Remus poured them each a cup of tea before sitting at the table. Remus didn't touch his tea, and instead gripped the seat of his chair, his knuckles turning white. He just knew something was wrong. His inner werewolf was pacing anxiously, whining. Albus smiled at him, seeming to know what thoughts were running through his head.

"First, I wish to assure you that Harry is safe and sound at Hogwarts." He began, and Remus let out a relieved sigh, his grip loosening slightly on the chair. He noticed though, that the mans eyes were not twinkling, and knew there was something more.

"However, I am afraid that we very nearly lost him last week…" Remus shot up from his chair, his face white as the chair went flying backwards and crashed into a wall. Remus didn't notice.

"What do you mean almost lost him?! You said he's ok! What happened?" Remus growled, his amber eyes changing to a thunderous, stormy black as he glared at the headmaster. "Why did no one contact me before now?"

Albus sighed and stood, motioning for the werewolf to calm down before continuing. " I assure you, he is fine now. But I cannot explain anything if you don't calm down and listen. I realize it's upsetting, but I need you to listen. Please, Remus. I will explain everything."

Remus frowned, his eyes turning a deep brown as he calmed himself down somewhat. He summoned his chair back, sat down, and waved for the man to continue.

"Thank you. Now, a week ago the alarms at Harry's home went off. Severus and I went there directly to Privet Drive and found Harry in his room, suffering from several knife wounds inflicted by his uncle…." Here Remus cut him off again, his eyes murderous once again.

"HIS UNCLE TRIED TO KILL HIM? I'LL KILL HIM" He turned and tried to leave out the kitchen door, but Dumbledore stood swiftly again and froze him in place, much to the rage of the younger man. "Let me go, Albus!" he demanded, struggling against the magic holding him. The wolf in him wanted blood, and for once, Remus was not trying to reign the beast in. "You can't stop me!"

"Remus! I must insist that you refrain from any attempts to leave until you have heard the entire story. I realize this is difficult, but you will accomplish nothing with this behavior. I will release you if you give your word. The sooner we get through this, the sooner you may see Harry."

Remus frowned, but calmed down at the prospect of seeing his surrogate godson. Finally, he agreed to do as asked. He did want to hear the whole story, and so promised to behave. The older man released him and Remus sat down again, staring at Albus, intent and impatient.

"Harry's uncle tried to kill him that night. Apparently, Harry has been suffering regular abuse at his uncles hands for years, as has Harry's aunt, Petunia. Thankfully, she was able to intercede before her husband had a chance to land a killing blow. She saved herself and Harry by killing the man, and we were able to respond to the alarms in time to keep him from bleeding out. He's been at Hogwarts since," Albus watched Remus as he processed the information he'd just heard.

Remus was in shock. Harry's own uncle tried to kill him. Lily's sister had killed her husband to save him. Maybe the sisters weren't so different at all, he thought as he recognized the similarity in their actions to protect Harry. He snarled in fury though as he thought about the man who had been abusing his best friends only child.

"Pity he's already dead. I would have liked the honor. How did she do it?" he asked.

"Frying pan," the man answered simply.

A twisted smile made itself at home on Remus lips as he imagined it and nodded in approval. Certainly wasn't how he would have done things, but he supposed there was a kind of domestic irony to it that was fitting.

After a few minutes of silence, Remus began to come down off his furious high and started wondering how this had been allowed to happen in the first place. He knew he hadn't spend very much time with Harry, but he had been the boys professor! Had seen him several times over the past years and never noticed a thing. How could he have not noticed the signs that were now, looking back, glaringly obvious? He had failed Harry. Failed Lily and James and Sirius. He was supposed to look after Harry, and couldn't manage to keep him safe from his own relatives.

Albus noticed the change in Remus' demeanor and knew what the man was thinking. He was thinking the same thing he had been thinking since that horrible night a week ago. That he had failed Harry. The guilt was immeasurable, and he knew nothing could make up for what he had done. He reached across the table and rested a hand on the werewolf's shoulder.

"Do not beat yourself up, Remus. I am the one to blame, not yourself. I was the one who placed him with the Dursley's and failed to check in on him. This is entirely on my shoulders. The only thing you need to think about is being there for Harry now. He won't want us to pity him, but we must be strong for him. We must be there to help him grow past this."

"I know this, Albus. I will be there for him. I will help him however I can, but I should have known! Why didn't he ever say anything? Surely he didn't think we would leave him there if we knew?" Remus frowned, still unable to understand how this could have happened.

Albus sighed, his eyes sorrowful. "I do not know. I fear I made such a big deal about his being safe from Voldemort in that house that perhaps he did fear I wouldn't do anything. We'll never know unless Harry decides to share that with us. I won't force him to open up, but it is my hope that someday he will."

Remus nodded and silence reigned again for several moments.

"I want you to come back to Hogwarts, Remus. Harry is going to need all the support he can get, and you're the only father figure he has left. He'll need to be shown that he is loved and cared about. We need to undo whatever damage that _man_ did to him, and regain his trust in us. It's going to be hard, but I know we can do it. I could reinstate you as the DADA Professor, or we could work something else out. What do you say?"

Remus looked at him and nodded, immediately agreeing. Nothing could keep him from being near Harry now. This arrangement would make it that much easier to do so, and teaching again would be wonderful. He knew the next year would be full of obstacles, but he felt optimistic that they would succeed.

They spent the next hour discussing details before gathering Remus' things and returning to Hogwarts.

Remus was waiting at the head table when he saw Harry and a woman he assumed to be Harry's aunt enter the Hall. He pleased by the way Harry's face lit up when he was spotted. Harry quickly made his way over and threw his arms around him in a tight hug. Remus beamed down at him and ruffled his hair. "How're you, kiddo? It's good to see you."

Harry smiled fondly at the familiar nickname. Remus had started using it after Sirius died, to make them both feel close to the man. Remus quickly assessed Harry, and felt the familiar guilt stabbing him as he took in how small and frail Harry seemed. Harry must have noticed something change in his eyes because his smile became a frown. "You know, don't you?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "I'm so sorry Harry. I know you don't want pity, but that's not what this is. I'm sorry I failed to protect you, but I want you to know that I'll always be here for you, no matter what, OK?" he wanted to make sure that Harry understood he didn't think any less of him, and that he still wanted him around.

Harry nodded, but still didn't look entirely sure. "Who else knows?"

"Just Albus, Severus, Poppy, and myself. We've no intention of telling anyone else your business, Harry. Albus just thought it would be best if I knew, since we're practically family. Plus, I'll be teaching DADA again this year." He hoped that bit of news might cheer him up.

Harry beamed again, his smile bringing out a pang of familial tenderness for the young man. "That's great, Remus! This year we might learn something then. Oh! And, Remus, this is my aunt Petunia Evans. Aunty, this is Remus Lupin. He was my parents and godfathers best friend, and one of mine too." Harry pulled his aunt forward to introduce the two of them. He'd almost forgotten that she was standing behind him.

Remus and Petunia smiled at each other and shook hands. Remus couldn't help himself then and pulled Lily's sister into a tight hug and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for saving him." He then released her and, ignoring her blush and sad eyes, brought them both to the head table before they could say anything else.

After they were seated and had placed their meal orders, he decided to tell them his other announcement. "Another thing Harry, Albus has asked me t o accompany you, you aunt, and Miss Parkinson to Diagon alley get your shopping done early. We'll leave tomorrow morning, if that works for you all?"

Harry nodded. "That works us, but I don't know about Parkinson without asking her. I'll have to ask her when I get back to the flat. I'll let you know tonight though."

Remus frowned as something occurred to him. "Wait a minute, are you and Miss Parkinson sharing rooms?" That couldn't be right. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't. . .

"Yes. Dumbledore's idea. He won't tell us why." Harry shrugged and dug into the food before him. Remus looked over his head and stared at Albus, who was smiling at him with that ever there all-knowing, amused twinkle in his eye. Remus narrowed his own eyes and gave the other man a look that promised a few words.

They chatted about this and that, carefully avoiding any topic that might bring up things Harry wasn't ready to talk about. He found Petunia to be a lively conversationalist when she wasn't thinking on recent events. She asked all sorts of questions about magic and him being a werewolf, and he was happy to answer them. He found himself grateful that Harry had had her there to help him through the last several years. _'At least someone was there for him,'_ he thought bitterly.

Soon it was late, and Harry and his aunt left to their rooms. Remus hugged Harry tightly to him. "Goodnight, Harry. Get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning." Harry smiled and nodded. He picked up the plate he'd made for his roommate and left the hall.

Remus then turned to Dumbledore. "You have some explaining to do, Albus."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

*****Pansy POV*****

Pansy sighed and finished dressing, making sure she was ready for the shopping trip that was still a few hours away. Her nightmares had kept her awake most of the night, the memories of her father refusing to leave her alone. At five in the morning, she had given up trying to get any rest and gotten her shower out of the way. They would be leaving after breakfast, and that was still another hour away

. She sighed and looked out of the large window in her bedroom. The sun had decided to make its entrance, slowly creeping over the horizon and bathing everything in shades of orange, gold, and pink and causing the water of the Black Lake to glisten. As beautiful as the day was staring to look, she couldn't shake the dark feeling that something was going to go wrong.

The feeling had come over her as soon as Potter had told her about the days shopping plans. She'd been surprised by the plate of food he'd brought her, and then immediately became suspicious. The fact that he'd been thoughtful and considerate, not to mention _nice_ to her, was so contrary to what she's heard about him that she could only conclude that this was some attempt of his to humiliate her. She's refused the food, told him she'd be ready in the morning, and promptly shut the door in his stunned face.

Now she was regretting having not accepted the food. Her stomach was aching, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. She looked at her watch again and sighed. It would still be awhile before breakfast was served in the Great Hall. She stood and decided to browse the bookshelves in the living room. She had no idea what the headmaster had decided to stock them with and figured now was as good a time as any to find out.

She soon discovered the collection of books covered a wide variety of subjects, both muggle and magical. She soon settled for a book on muggle vs. magical comparisons. She'd always wanted to take Muggle Studies, but her father had forbad it. She was a pureblood witch, and above everyone else, her father had insisted. _"There is no need to try and understand a species so inferior to us. They may look like us, but that is all. They are a plague and should be destroyed. They are the cause of our dwindling numbers, and they need to be exterminated as quickly as possible."_ her father had said when she had asked about them. As a result, she really knew very little about her supposed enemies.

She was so engrossed in the book, she never heard Harry wake, or the soft sounds of him moving around his room as he got ready for the day. It was fascinating how muggles used technology to survive in place of magic. She had never known that electricity had been created by muggles. She had assumed it was magical, and learning about how it really worked was enlightening. She was so focused, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice interrupted her reading.

"Muggle studies, huh? You know, I was raised in the muggle world if you ever have questions or anything…" Harry offered kindly from several feet away. He hadn't wanted to startle her, but he couldn't help peeking at the cover of the book she was reading.

Pansy glared at him. "I don't need your help, Potter." she said coldly, sounding insulted at the idea of going to him for anything.

Harry frowned. "I wasn't suggesting you did, just that I could be a resource to you if you wanted. Anyways, it's breakfast time." With that, he turned and left, seeming exasperated and irritated.

Pansy felt a tug of guilt at her conscious before she shoved it aside. She had nothing to feel guilty about. He was the one who had barged in on her and insulted her intelligence. _'He didn't really. He was just offering to help you.' _her mind defended him. _'Shut up! Whose side are you on?'_ she replied as her stomach announced that it was time to follow Potter. She forgot everything else as she made her way towards the Great Hall and the scent of sausage and waffles assaulted her, teasing her as she got closer.

*****Severus POV*****

Severus scowled at Lupin, who was grinning broadly at some story Harry had been telling him. _'Since when is he "Harry" and not "Potter"?' _His inner voice inquired. Severus growled, ignoring the startled looks from those nearest to him. _'Since I found him bleeding to death in the one place he should have been safe'_ he retorted before telling himself to shut the hell up.

Refusing to argue with himself, he instead went over the night before in his head. He and Albus had spent an hour trying to come up with a story to explain the Gryffindor's presence at the school that would fool Voldemort. They didn't dare tell him the truth, yet it had to be something extreme enough that he wouldn't doubt Dumbledore's reasons for bringing him back to the school so suddenly. They'd thrown around countless ideas until Lupin had shown up.

Flashback-

"_Remus! Hello, my boy. Thank you for joining us. We were hoping you might be able to help us create an excuse for Harry's return to the school so early. We don't want Tom becoming suspicious of the real reason. He would use what happened to Harry against him, and we don't want that." Dumbledore had explained, welcoming him into the room and ignoring Severus' derisive snort at the term "we". Everyone in the room knew Severus would have rather shaved his head clean and tattooed the name "SHIRLEY" across it than include Remus in anything._

"_Why not use the house burning down as the reason? Tom would have no reason to suspect it, especially with that sorry excuse of a man dead. He'll have no reason to think it was planned or a trick of some sort. Of course, you could tell him Harry did it on purpose just to get out of there for a summer." Remus had been joking, but soon stopped laughing at the contemplative looks on both the other mens faces. That the two had even jumped on the same wave length at the same time , let alone at all, was somewhat baffling to the werewolf. "Hey now, I was only kidding!"_

_Severus sneered at him. "Be that as it may, wolf man, you may have inadvertently stumbled upon a not so bad idea. Who knew you had brain cells enough to do it?"_

_Remus graced him with a heated glare before turning to address the headmaster.. "Are you suggesting that we tell the dark lord that Harry deliberately set his home on fire and killed his uncle? To avoid having to stay there for a summer? It's ludicrous! NO one would ever believe Harry would do something like that." he argued._

_Dumbledore nodded, agreeing with some of his points. "You are correct, Remus. No one who _knows_ Harry would believe it. But we don't need the world to believe it, just Voldemort. If he thinks Harry is going dark, he might back off a little bit in an attempt to recruit Harry instead. It's no secret Harry is extremely powerful, and Voldemort loves power. He would love to have Harry's power backing him instead of opposing him. He would be completely invincible, and that's what he really wants, isn't it?"_

_Severus sneered. "You almost sound as if you want Potter to join him, Albus. I must admit though, as crazy as this idea is, it just may work. Not only would it explain his return to the school, it would give us a better chance to defeat him. Of course, Potter would have to agree to this. And I'm sure he'd wish to be involved in any plans."_

_Remus glared at them both. "You can't be serious! It's bad enough he's involved in this world at all, but trying to make it worse? He's still a child!" he argued._

"_He is anything but a child, Lupin. How could he be? You didn't see what his uncle did to him, what he had been doing to him for years. Where was there room for being a child? Abuse at home and a crazy maniac chasing him at school. He's never been a child. The sooner you realize that, the better for all involved." Severus argued back, surprising everyone in the room, himself most of all._

_Dumbledore's eyes began twinkling madly while the angry werewolf turned an interesting shade of red._

"_What would you know about it, Snape? Since when are you an expert on Harry Potter? You've treated him worse than dirt every single year he's been at Hogwarts. You don't know a thing about him, so don't climb up on that high horse of yours and pretend otherwise. You hate him as much as you did James and Sirius. You probably can't wait for him to fall into the dark lords hands."_

_Severus snarled and took a step forward, but a hand on his chest restrained him. _

"_Violence won't solve this, Severus. Remus, that is quite unfair and I'm sure you know that. Severus has more than paid his dues and shown his loyalty to the Light. You two don't have to like each other, but you will learn to be civil. There is no other hope of winning this war unless we unite. I think it's time we retire to bed. We _all_ have an early day tomorrow. We will discuss this with Harry after the shopping trip tomorrow. Goodnight, boys."_

End Flashback-

Severus sighed again and looked at his watch. Breakfast would be over soon, and then he would be accompanying Harry, Pansy, Petunia, and Remus to Diagon Alley. He watched Harry closely. He found himself watching the boy more and more, and he detested himself for it, but he couldn't seem to stop. He noticed the barely discernible shadows under his eyes, and the dullness in his eyes that was a contrast to his cheerful chatter and laughs. But even the laughs sounded different. Severus had spent several years having to hear Harry's laughter in the dining hall as he giggled with his friends, and Severus was confident in his ability to distinguish between a genuine laugh from Harry, and a forced one.

'_Since when are you an expert on Harry's different laughs?' _his mind asked, laughing at him.

'_It doesn't take a genius to tell the difference.' _he huffed back, irritated.

'_Then how come no one else is noticing? Lupin seems perfectly drawn in.'_

'_Lupin is a blind fool. He's too concerned in…wait. Why the hell am I arguing with you? Shut up already.' _Severus growled at himself, and refused to pay any further attention to his obviously fading sanity.

A few minutes later, the party was gathered in the Entrance Hall. Harry and his aunt, Remus, and Pansy were all ready to go, and while the former three looked happy and excited, Severus noticed that Pansy looked as nervous as he felt. He too was beginning to feel like this was a bad idea. He quickly cast a few glamours on himself to reduce the risk of anyone recognizing him and reporting to Voldemort that he'd been out shopping with the boy instead of contacting him.

They made their way towards Hogsmeade, with Severus falling behind the group and Pansy trying standing a few feet to the side of the other three, politely responding when Ms. Evans asked her a question, but otherwise ignoring the chattering trio.

Soon they arrived at the Hogs Head and quickly made use of the public floo. Remus went first, then Harry and Petunia together, and then Pansy with Severus bringing up the rear. They stepped out of the fireplace and into a private floo room in the back of the Leaky Cauldron. It was decided that Gringotts would be the first stop, as none of them had much currency on them.

*******Harry P.O.V.*********

Harry couldn't help grinning in amusement at his aunts awestruck look as they made their way through the shopping district. He knew she had never been here, though she'd had chances. When his mother had been accepted to Hogwarts, the Evans family had all accompanied her on her first trip for supplies. All except Petunia. She had refused to go, claiming to want nothing to do with the freak world. In truth, he knew now, she had been jealous and disappointed that she couldn't be a witch too, and didn't think she could handle exposing herself to a world she would never really be a part of..

Now those reservations were gone. He watched as she took in everything, her eyes as wide and excited as a child in a candy store. As they approached Gringotts, he laughed at her gasp of awe as she took in the towering white marble building. She shot him a half hearted glare before she caught sight of the goblin guards standing on either side of the doors. They made their way up the many marble steps and into the lobby, where Petunia froze in the middle of the room, taking in the long counters, marble floors and dazzling chandeliers. Harry was beyond pleased as she delighted in the unusual surroundings. He was sure he had been worse when Hagrid had first brought him to Diagon Alley.

Remus allowed her a moment before gently urging the group towards the first available teller. He read the name plate on the counter "Hello, Medgol! We'd like to access the Potter, Lupin, and Parkinson vaults today, please." Remus told the goblin with a smile. The short goblin peered at them over the rims of his gold spectacles, seeming to study each one of their party.

"Very well. Wands, please." the goblin asked, holding his hand out expectantly. They all handed them over and he inspected each one thoroughly. He found no problems with Harry's or Remus' , but frowned when Petunia did not give him one. He narrowed his eyes at her sternly. "Ms. Evans? Your wand, please."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, an expression that Petunia wore as well.

"She doesn't have one, Sir. She is my muggle aunt." Harry explained, hoping there wouldn't be any issue with allowing her to go with him. He hadn't thought about the possibility of not being allowed, and apparently the others hadn't either, or they wouldn't have bothered allowing her to join them.

The goblin raised an eyebrow. "I can assure you, Mr. Potter, she is no muggle." There were several surprised, confused gasps. "Her magical core is indeed very weak, nearly that of a squib, but a witch she is. I can see her magic."

Silence met his words. Harry and Petunia stared at him in shock, while Remus and Severus exchanged bemused expressions. Pansy was rather unaffected.

"What do you mean I'…I'm a witch? That's not possible. I was never accepted into a school! I never got a letter! Only Lily did…." Petunia struggled to gather her thoughts.

The goblin sniffed, somewhat offended. "I assure you, Madam, I am _not_ mistaken. Goblins are very sensitive to magic. We see it in everything it inhabits."

"I…I don't know what to say…" she was lost, and turned to Harry. "Harry?" she asked, seeming to think he would have an answer.

But Harry was just as baffled, but he knew there was nothing to do about it that moment. "Our apologies, Sir. We never knew. She grew up as a muggle. But we will get her a wand this afternoon. I can't do that though without gold from the vault. Is there anyway she can accompany me without a wand?" he asked.

"I suppose this once, Mr. Potter. These are strange circumstances. We will not be responsible for her though, should anything happen…." Harry nodded his agreement and gave his aunts hand a squeeze. Remus and Snape hadn't said a word, both content to watch and mull over this new information. The goblin turned towards Pansy next with a raised brow, holding out his hand for her wand. Pansy handed it to him, and waited while he examined and tested hers.

Harry just couldn't believe what they had just been told. How was it that his aunt had never been told? Even squibs went to magic school, look at Filch! So why had his mother received her letter, but not his aunt? It didn't make any sense to him at all. He would have to have a talk with the Headmaster when they got back to the school. Somehow, this had to be his doing. He was after all, in charge of sending out the letters.

The goblin returned Pansy's wand to her with a frown. "I'm afraid, Miss Parkinson, that your vault has been frozen for the time being. It seems your father requested it be done." Harry turned to look at the girl, his brow raised in surprise. Her face first went pale, then red with embarrassment when she noticed everyone looking at her.

"I see." was all she said, looking at the floor, her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.

Harry frowned. _'Why would her father lock her out of the vaults? Does this have something to do with why she's at Hogwarts in the first place? Without funds, she can't buy her supplies or anything else she needs.'_ he thought to himself as he watched his potions professor lead her to the side. They spoke quietly for a few moments before the man made his way over to the group.

"Professor?" he said quietly, maneuvering slightly so that he could talk discreetly to man. "Isn't there a fund or something for students who might need it?" He watched Pansy, making sure she didn't hear them.

The older man raised an eyebrow. "There is, but it is only available a month before school starts. The governors haven't released them yet."

Harry chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "If I supplied the money, could you say it was from the school? Or is the fund public knowledge? I don't want her to know, and I'm sure she wouldn't accept if I did offer it personally. We both know that she needs it."

Severus stared at him in surprise. "Yes, that could be arranged. She wouldn't know. But I doubt the school would compensate you, Mr. Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not concerned about that. I have more than I'll ever need. I'll have Remus hand it to you when we return."

The man just nodded as he watched Harry turn and leave, following the goblin out of the lobby and through one of the many doors leading to the vaults. Harry helped Petunia into the cart waiting beyond the door and climbed in after her, with Remus having climbed in first. In an unspoken agreement they decided to keep the woman tucked safely between the two of them. He noticed her shiver slightly as she took in their new surroundings. The dank cave like tunnel and sporadic torches was certainly not as pleasant or as inviting as the open and brightly lit main lobby.

Petunia gripped each mans arm as the cart took off at a speed that would make one of those muggle race car drivers ill. Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly and started giving her a short history on the bank to distract her. After traveling about 40 miles down, they reached Remus' vault first. He hopped out with Medgol and waited while the goblin opened the door for him. He ducked inside and returned only moments later, s small pouch dangling from his waist, the coins clinking together in a pleasant melody.

They traveled another 15 miles down and arrived at the Potter vault. Harry and Petunia climbed out of the cart and entered the vault as soon as the door was open. Petunia's eyes widened comically as she took in the towering, floor to ceiling piles of gold, silver, and copper. "I don't think the Royal Family has this much gold!" she said in shock.

Harry laughed. "It is a more than ridiculous amount of money." He pulled three pouches from the pockets of his robes and began filling them with obscene amounts of money that didn't even make a dent the smallest pile of coins. When he was finished, he handed his aunt one pouch and placed the other two in his own pocket. She immediately tried to fight him.

"Harry! I can't take this!" she insisted.

"And why not? You'll need money, too. There are things you'll need." he replied, turning to walk out of the vault.

"Harry! This more than covers anything I could possibly need, I'm sure. I don't want to take money from you." she persisted, following him out of vault.

"Nonsense, Aunty. Spend it on whatever you like. It's my turn to take care of you for a change. At least until you are situated again, but I doubt even then I'll back off." He helped her back into the cart and climbed in beside her.

She frowned at him. "Then I'll pay you back once I'm working."

Harry rolled his eyes. "If your that determined, then just make a donation to charity or something. Really, this isn't a big deal."

Petunia huffed and settled back, as the cart starting moving again, taking them back up towards the main building. Remus was watched in amusement at their arguing, and pride in Harry's determination to take care of his family. Lily, James, and Sirius would have been so proud of the man he was growing into.

The ride back was mostly silent, each person lost in their own thoughts. When they got closer to the end though, Harry pulled one of the pouches from his pocket and turned to Remus, handing it to him. "Here. This is for Parkinson. Please, give it to Professor Snape to give to her. If anyone says anything, it came from Hogwarts vault."

Remus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Does Severus know?" Harry nodded. "If you're sure. That's quite noble of you, Harry."

Harry blushed and both Remus and Petunia smiled at it. "It's the right thing to do. I don't know why her vault was frozen, but it's none of my business, either. It's within my power to help her, and I want to."

*******GENERAL POV**********

'_Damn proud of him.' _Remus thought as he took the pouch from his surrogate godson. A moment later, the cart came to a halt and they climbed out, following Medgol back into the lobby where Snape and Parkinson were waiting, each sporting a look that scream, "I'M BORED!"

"Severus! I brought this back from the Hogwarts vault." Remus said, playing his part as the potions master accepted it. He raised a brow in surprise over the weight of the bag and handed it to Pansy, who looked at him inquiringly.

"Hogwarts has extra funds reserved for students who might need the assistance. This will cover all your supplies for the upcoming year, as well anything else you may need. Within reason, of course." he said in explanation. Her brow furrowed and her cheeks turned slightly pink, but she nodded and accepted the pouch. They both knew she couldn't afford to turn it down.

They finally left the bank and made their way further down the narrow street until they reached Ollivander's Wand Shop. When they entered the shop, the silence was heavy and the air still. Little motes of dust floated in the sunlight falling through the stores windows, and there was no one in sight. Harry led his aunt to a wall of wands on display and started explaining to her about the different woods and cores that made a wand while Severus went in search of the famous wand maker.

"Ah, Harry Potter. Holly, eleven inches, with a phoenix feather core. I didn't not expect to see you again, at least, not until you had a young one of your own. What can I do for you?" Ollivander asked, looking at him unblinkingly.

Harry coughed and blushed at the mention of his own offspring. "We're here to purchase a wand for my aunt, Petunia Evans." Harry gestured towards his nervous aunt.

Ollivanders gaze landed on her, still not blinking. 'What happened to your original wand, Ms. Evans? I remember every customer that has ever stepped foot into my shop. You have never been here."

Petunia coughed and fidgeted nervously. As she spoke, Harry could help but notice how out of character his aunt had been since they were brought to Hogwarts. The normally cool and collected woman was a nervous, excitable mess.

"W-well, you see, I only found out today that I am a w-witch. Barely a witch, it would seem. The goblin said I was practically a squib but my younger sister, Lily was a full fledged witch. She probably got her wand here…"

Ollivander's brow shot up and he blinked for the first time. "You were never told you were a witch? How very curious. Lily Evans, yes, yes indeed. Willow, ten and a quarter inch. Very swishy wand indeed. Well, let's see, let's see….." He turned from the group and began pulling boxes off this shelf and that shelf, setting an armful down on a table.

"Give these a flick, like so. Here, Elm, eleven inches, with a unicorn hair core."

She gave it a flick and everyone had to duck as a streak of red light shot past their heads and hit some nearby drapes, setting them on fire. She dropped the wand in shock and covered her mouth with both hands. "I am so sorry!" she cried. Ollivander chuckled and assured her it was fine before handing her another wand.

Thirty minutes and two dozen wands later, the group left Ollivanders. Petunia was admiring her new wand, an eleven inch willow with a white Pegasus feather core.

They slowly made their way through Magical Menagerie, where Petunia got her own tawny owl, Madam Malkins, Flourish and Blotts, the stationary shop. They were finishing up at the apothecary and heading back towards the robe shop to pick up their orders when it happened.

There were several flashes of black swarming the alley, swooping around people and buildings as spells started flying through the air with abandon. The fountain in the center of the alley exploded and people screamed as they started rushing away. A few people tried to disapparate, but an ominous black dome materialized over the alley, seeming to block any escape attempts.

Harry immediately grabbed his aunts wrist and followed Snape and Remus as they fought their way towards the Leaky Cauldron, firing off spells as they went. Death Eaters were everywhere, cutting down shoppers left and right. It seemed they had no idea Harry was there, as no one sought him out, for which Snape and Lupin were grateful. Buildings fell and glass shattered and the area became smoky from so many spells being fired. Somehow, the group became separated as they were all drawn into a fight.

Snape and Lupin were fighting 5 death eaters who had them cut off from Harry and his aunt. Pansy stood several feet to the side, fighting her own attacker as people fell all around them. Children screamed for their parents, witches and wizards screamed and yelled as they fought, their loved ones falling beside them. Harry shoved his aunt down and to the side, pushing her behind a stone table that had been over turned as he fought two death eaters.

"Harry Potter! What a stroke of luck! Won't our master be pleased?" One of them said as they continued firing curse after curse at Harry, backing him towards a half collapsed shop. Harry said nothing, just sneered at them as he jumped and ducked, wincing every time a curse caught him.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he'll be thrilled with you two. Two of you against me, a sixth year, and you still haven't taken me down. Yes, maybe he'll even spare you a few Crucaitus curses." Harry taunted as he fired off a disarming spell, a body bind, and a stunning spell. Two wands flew at him and he caught them swiftly, snapping them in half and firing off another stunning spell, knocking both unconscious.

"Potter!"

"Harry!"

A scream.

"Potter!"

"Harry! Let me go!"

Harry spun around as suddenly four voices called his name. His face paled and he felt dread sink to the pit of his stomach. Twp death eaters stood ten feet apart, each holding a woman around the neck, a wand to their heads. Petunia and Pansy had both been grabbed, the death eaters thinking both women were close to him and could be used as bait.

"Which one will it be, Potter? You can only save one of them before we kill the other. Drop your wand and come with us, and we'll let them both live." A female voice cackled at him from behind her mask and Harry stiffened. He would know that voice anywhere. His vision turned red and he tightened him grip on his wand, pointing it at Bellatrix Lestrange, who had her wand on his aunt. Bella tore her mask off and smiled at him. "What's the matter Potter? Don't you want to play? Or are you going to let them die like you did your ickle godfather?"

Before he could realize what was happening, he heard a roar and the street lit up in a blinding light. He could hear three woman screaming and he watched a jet of purple light shoot from his wand while his fingers glowed emerald as the street blew up and debris went flying everywhere. It was total chaos. He fell to his knees as weakness overtook him. He could see his aunt and Pansy both lying unmoving on the cobblestone, could make out the muffled sound of yelling. Then something hard hit him in the back of the head and he fell forward, everything going black as he lost consciousness.


End file.
